Red-footed Booby? Monterey, CA 18 November 2023 (2 Viewers)

[jmtully]

Saw this while entertaining family friends, and not equipped for birding, hence the bad phone pictures. There has been a red-footed booby in the area for some time, shape, color, bill color seem about right, and I can't think what else it might be. Thanks for taking a look.

 

[njlarsen]

Pied-billed grebe?

 

[THE_FERN]

Pied-billed grebe?

I think the bill colour is wrong (bluish tinge)

 

[Butty]

Looks like common loon (eg head-shape) - but photo-quality is too low (no offence) to be sure of anything much.

 

[njlarsen]

I am seeing a very large and bulky head with hardly any bill at all. If you see it differently, well maybe I am wrong.

 

[Jos Stratford]

I see a cormorant species facing away from us ... but given we already have three widely differing suggestions, I'll agree we are probably not going to reach a true identification on this image

 

[nartreb]

With that apparently dark crown, my first impression was a grebe (western?), but various loons are possible given the photo quality. I don't see a cormorant here but I could be wrong. I don't see a booby either...

There is a possible reflection / possible long bluish bill in both images..

 

[Derbyfella]

I see a cormorant species facing away from us ... but given we already have three widely differing suggestions, I'll agree we are probably not going to reach a true identification on this image

This is what I see too.

 

[jmtully]

Looks like common loon (eg head-shape) - but photo-quality is too low (no offence) to be sure of anything much.

No offense taken. I was out with a phone only and the bird was too far.

 

[jmtully]

I see a cormorant species facing away from us ... but given we already have three widely differing suggestions, I'll agree we are probably not going to reach a true identification on this image

It doesn't come through too well in the pictures, but the bill definitely had a bluish tint to it in person. I haven't seen any cormorant species around here that meets that requirement. But my pictures were horrible. So I know where the blame lies!

 

[jmtully]

Thanks to all that looked and commented. I'm leaving this one unidentified. Lesson learned: bring a pair of binoculars!

 

[dantheman]

Looks to be Common Loon (Great Northern Diver) to me too (cf Butty's post #4)

Pic 2 - Stonking steely blue grey bill, dark neck patch, head shape (bumps), overall dark with paler front visible.


(Altogether too dark for booby anyway?? Don't see a cormorant myself)

 

[Harrybongo]

Hi. I'm going on the lightish marking running up the side of the nape, dark head marking/shape, lightish bill....... could be a non breeding Ear/Horned grebe?